A New Beginning
by DWForTheWorld
Summary: Maria Jackson is back, and she's afraid of rejection. Luckily, her old friends welcome her back with open arms. But with Rani being cold and cruel every second, and uncovering a huge secret, can Maria take being part of the gang again? Maria/Clyde, rated T for in later chapters, sided Luke/Rani
1. Chapter 1

Maria closed her eyes as she put her bag more securely over her shoulder. It had been a year. She'd heard about Rani and she was scared, now that she was back, that they wouldn't want her. She walked into school, opening her eyes as she walked through the doors. The bell rang out a few minutes later and Maria, biting her lip, headed towards her locker, checked her program and locked the locker again, heading towards Science.

She was only a couple of minutes late, but the teacher would probably murder her. Still, she wasn't thinking about that right now. She tied her plait more securely, adjusted her bag, and knocked on the door, entering a few seconds later.

Nobody had looked up quite yet, they were busy writing. Nobody was ever interested in who came to the door, Maria remembered.

"Ah, Miss Jackson, late on your first day back." Mr. Lewis scolded.

That caused everyone to look up. Maria looked at her feet sheepishly.

"Sorry, sir." She mumbled, looking back up.

"You can be excused, just for today. Right, there's only one desk available for now, and you'll be sitting alone. Off you go." He said.

Maria scuttled to her seat, collapsing onto the chair and putting her bag on the floor beside her, taking out her pencil case, notebook and Science book. She started writing what was on the board, ignoring the whispers and stares from around her. She didn't dare look for her old friends. She just couldn't. She didn't want to see rejection, or feel it, not yet.

As soon as Mr. Lewis turned and started writing again a scrunched up piece of paper flew forwards, landing neatly in her hands. Raising her eyebrows, Maria opened it, checked Mr. Lewis was still writing, and dared read it.

_You're back. You're actually back. Are you going to leave again? _

Clyde. She could tell by the writing. A smile flickered onto Maria's features as she wrote back.

_Never again. Me and Dad missed it here too much and we moved back. Still in Bannerman road, about one house down by SJs. _

Maria threw it back and continued writing the stuff from the board.

Soon enough, the note came back. Maria was smiling to herself as she opened it.

_Good. Don't ever tell anyone this, but I really did miss you._

Maria wrote back, and soon enough they'd pretty much written on all the paper, the back as well. Finally, after what seemed like an age, the bell rang. Maria slipped the note into her bag with her book, notebook and pencil case. She closed the bag and flung it over her shoulder, and started leaving with everyone else.

Maria headed out to the playground and sat on a bench, getting out the box with the chocolate-covered strawberries in as she sat down. She opened the box and bit into one with milk chocolate on. She smiled blissfully; her dad and mum had made these and they were gorgeous.

"Hey stranger." It was Clyde.

Maria glanced up and smiled, finished eating her strawberry and closed the box, leaping down from the bench. "Hey." She said softly, feeling nervous and tongue tied.

"Miss us at all?" Clyde asked.

"Tons." Maria replied.

They stood there awkwardly for a minute, before their eyes met and Clyde hugged her, tightly. Maria was surprised but she hugged back, smiling.

When they stepped apart, Maria sat on the bench again and Clyde sat beside her. She re-opened the box and ate a strawberry with white chocolate on.

Clyde stole a strawberry, eating it. "Wow, these are awesome. Who made them?"

"My mum and dad, yesterday when we finished moving." Maria said.

"Maria?" a boy's voice whispered.

Maria looked up and saw Luke. It wasn't only Luke. It was Luke standing beside Rani, staring at Maria and Clyde as if in shock.

Except the look on Rani's face was cold and stony and suddenly Maria realized she wasn't welcome at all.


	2. Chapter 2

Maria smiled as Luke sat on the bench, reluctantly followed by Rani.

"I missed you." Luke said.

"I missed you too, silly." Maria said.

"So…are you here for good?" Rani asked, and the distaste was clear in her voice.

"Yeah, hopefully." Maria said, trying to be nice. She offered a smile, but Rani looked away. Maria's smile dropped and she turned to Clyde, who was still eating her chocolate-covered strawberries. "Hey!" she said jokingly. "Leave me some too." She picked one up and ate it, and Luke took one too. Rani didn't.

"Hey guys, remember we're going alien hunting tonight." Rani said loudly. "We arranged it."

"We can see if Maria can come too. After all, Sarah Jane missed her as much as we did." Clyde said.

"Yeah, you can be part of the gang again!" Luke said.

Maria grinned happily. "I'd love to be, if Sarah Jane will have me."

"I hope you're better at helping aliens than last time." Rani said, and she got up and stalked off.

Maria sighed, and put the empty box back in her bag.

"She'll come round." Clyde said, slinging an arm around Maria's shoulders.

"She just doesn't know you enough to know whether she can trust you and like you or whether she can't." Luke supplied.

As the bell rang, Maria couldn't be happier; walking to class with her two boy best friends, who seemed to still like her and were glad she was back. But she felt bad about Rani, so she went to catch up with her.

"Listen, Rani, I don't want to ruin any friendships you may have formed with the guys. Can't we just be friends? I'd hate it if they had to deal with us hating each other." Maria said.

"Why would I want to be friends with _you?_" Rani asked, disgusted.

"Don't be all cold, Rani, come on, let's just try and…"

"Shut UP!" Rani said suddenly, and she slapped Maria hard across the cheek. "You think you can just swan in here and charm everyone? Well guess what? You're not charming me. _I don't want you here._" With that, Rani slammed Maria into the lockers as she pushed past.

Maria put a hand to her cheek, wincing. "Okay then." She muttered after her. She walked to class, ignoring the searing pain in her shoulder, and managed not to be late. Clyde had saved her a seat in between him and Luke. On Luke's other side, Rani was glaring. Maria slid into the seat beside Clyde, and as she did, he frowned.

"What happened to your cheek? Have you been slapped?" he asked.

"Yeah." Maria said, sighing as they started getting ready for chemistry. She was paired with Clyde and Luke with Rani.

"Who?" Clyde asked, and Maria could see he was mad.

Maria bit her lip and shot a glance over at Rani, who was laughing away with Luke. She turned her gaze to Clyde. "Just…uh…someone who doesn't like me. Let's get started with this, okay?"

Clyde sighed. "Tell me later, okay?"

Maria nodded and they started to work.

Halfway through the lesson she felt a sudden liquid thrown all over her, burning into the back of her shirt.

"Who threw that?!" Miss Edmunds demanded, running over to Maria as she cried out in pain.

Clyde was glaring evenly at Rani as he held Maria's arms.

"Mr. Langer, take Miss Jackson to the medical room. Miss Chandra, you're being sent to the headmaster."

"But…" Rani protested.

"No arguments! The rest of you, on with your work." Miss Edmunds marched Rani out of the room and Clyde guided Maria out.

"You alright?" he asked.

Maria shook her head. "It burnt me."

He took her to the medical room and helped soothe her back, where she'd been burnt. Then he waited outside while she changed into a new top and skirt. They walked back to class together just as the bell rang for hometime.

"Come see Sarah Jane." Clyde said, and his hand slid into Maria's, making her blush but smile as they walked together, to find Luke.


End file.
